Stephanie Sutton

The European Medicines Agency has published its first set of finalized guidelines concerning good pharmacovigilance practices.

Merck Serono has revealed its final “final efficiency program†for operations in Switzerland, which includes confirmation of the closure of sites in Geneva and Coinsins and their associated job cuts.

A recent report from the UK?s All Party Pharmacy Group (APPG) has attributed shortages of prescription medicines in the country to parallel trade and is calling for urgent action.

AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Merck Serono, and Pfizer have pledged support of more than £14 million ($23 million) to a translational drug development project being run by the UK's Medical Research Council and the University of Dundee.

Merck KGaA has revealed further details about its previously announced restructuring program, including plans to eliminate approximately 580 jobs.

GlaxoSmithKline has reached an agreement to divest certain over-the-counter brands in selected territories to South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare Holdings for approximately $264.7 million.

Illumina has sent a fourth letter to shareholders urging them to reject Roche?s offer of $51 per share, which Illumina claims is opportunistic and undervaluing the company. In addition, the letter urges shareholders to vote against the candidates that Roche has nominated for election to Illumina?s board of directors. The election will take place at the board?s general meeting on Apr. 18, 2012.

An initiative in the UK will invest £75 million ($120.2 million) into translational science, with the aim of transforming biological understanding into clinical impacts that will benefit patients and the UK economy.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has released guidance that outlines a European-wide approach for dealing with transparency and access to information included in marketing authorization applications.

A US court has denied AstraZeneca?s request for a preliminary injunction against FDA.